We Must Not Become Hypocrites or Christ Died for Nothing

 Paul Confronts Peter

 Book of Galatians Chapter 2 Verse 11 through 21

 There is a short verse in the Book of Thessalonians that we need to learn, understand, and adhere to, throughout our Christian Walk.

 1Th 5:22  Abstain from all appearance of evil. 

 There are virtues we need to cultivate in our devotion to God and this Scripture is far more important than we realize when we first read it.

 We sometimes forget that the Holy Spirit lives within us. 

When we "grieve the Holy Spirit," we lose any power we have as Christians and are no longer a good witness for the truth of Jesus Christ.

 1Th 4:7  For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 

1Th 4:8  He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. 

 It was no different for the Apostle Peter, and the Apostle Paul awoke Peter to this fact.

 We know that Paul was clearing up a few things for these Thessalonians before he began his discussion on the Rapture and the return of Jesus Christ.

 This Church had a special need for guidance and sometimes even our most devoted Christians also need additional guidance.

 We will never reach a point in our lives that we should not be growing in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

 Sanctification is a lifelong project!

 At Jerusalem, all Church leaders had confirmed Paul’s authority!

 We know that Peter had been the leader of the Apostles from day one.

 Though we cannot make excuses for the actions of Peter, we must insist that we all need to watch our conduct at all times for it seems that someone is always watching for good or bad reasons.

 Act 15:22  Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: 

Act 15:23  And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: 

Act 15:24  Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: 

Act 15:25  It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 

Act 15:26  Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Act 15:27  We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. 

Act 15:28  For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 

 This Silas and this Judas were two men from the Church at Jerusalem who would verify the results of the first Council of the Church, to these Galatians.

 They were chief men of the Church at Jerusalem.

 Later we will see that this same Silas also known as Silvanus as the companion of Paul on his second missionary journey.

 Silas became a great missionary himself.

 It seems that Silas, like Paul, was also a Roman citizen.

 Silas was with Paul when they were in jail where the Philippian jailer and all his family got saved.

 Act 16:25  And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 

Act 16:26  And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 

Act 16:27  And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 

Act 16:28  But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 

 It is verse 37 that tells us that both Paul and Silas were both Roman citizens.

 Act 16:37  But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, “being Romans”, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

 Not much else is known about Barsabas other than he was a great man of the Church in Jerusalem.

 This Judas surnamed Barsabas, seems to have been gifted the gift of prophecy which at that time could have meant that he was one of the Preachers at the Church in Jerusalem and he returned to that Church.

 It was after these things had taken place that the Apostle Peter visited this Church in Antioch.

 It also appears those Judaizers had remained in this Church at Antioch.

 This is the background where we see Paul confront Peter, and he had every right to do so though we may not know the whole story, we do know that the Holy Spirit included it in these writings of Paul.

 *****Gal 2:11  But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 

Gal 2:12  For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

Gal 2:13  And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. 

Gal 2:14  But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? 

 We may not know the exact reasons that Peter came to the Church in Antioch, but who would turn down the leader of the Apostles if he came down to visit.

 Paul may even have invited Peter to visit at any time.

 This Church at Antioch was a great church, but it was also the first Gentile Church established outside of Jerusalem.

 This church was a mission minded church, and it was important that a good example was set before all the Gentiles and the Jews, but especially before the Gentiles by the Jews.

 When Peter arrived in Antioch he sat down with and enjoyed the company of the Gentiles, as we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We all have the same Father!

 When some other Judaizers came to visit at Antioch they were astounded that Peter was enjoying such fellowship with these Gentiles and he had allowed those same Judaizers to rebuke him for eating with the Gentiles who they still considered to be Heathen.

 We know Peter was a great Preacher and a great man of God, but this thing could ruin his testimony unless it was stopped immediately.

 It went against the decisions made at that First Church Council.

 This thing caused Peter to stumble for a moment.

 If the great Apostle Peter could stumble, we can be sure that we can!

Even today, the most used excuse used by the "Lost" is, that we the Church are all a bunch of hypocrites.

I used to say this myself and it shames me.

 Peter sure acted like one and we know these things are true or this story would not be in the Bible.

 It should be obvious to us that Peter's error was not in preaching a false doctrine.

 The error Peter made was using bad judgment!

 Though we seek moral perfection it evades us much of the time.

 We can believe that this situation was provided by the Devil and these same Judaizers were still full of the Devil, and they would haunt the Apostle Paul most of all his days.

 In Peter's case, we find him bold and then timid many times, even when Christ was teaching him.

 These are not excuses, but just the truth!

We are not to judge Peter when we know God has forgiven him.

 Remember Peter preached one sermon where over three thousand souls were saved in one day.

 I have not heard of anyone else who had such results from one sermon.

 We can also realize that Paul rebuked Peter for this one thing, and it needed to be done, but Paul was not rude to Peter nor was Paul showing personal animosity.

 Without a doubt we can see that both Paul and Peter possessed the same Holy Spirit just as we all do.

 These things did not cause friction between Paul and Peter as Peter wrote.

 2Pe 3:15  And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 

2Pe 3:16  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 

2Pe 3:17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 

2Pe 3:18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. 

 In reality we can still blame these Judaizers who continued to cause turmoil in the Church even though they were rebuked at the Jerusalem Council.

 I do not know of any man of God who has already reached perfection except for those who are already with the Lord.

 Paul and Peter are both in perfection today!

 Paul also knew these things as he wrote.

 Php 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 

Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 

 When this thing passed Paul was still missionary to the Gentiles, but he would still drop by a Synagogue of the Jews if the opportunity arose and Peter was still missionary to the Jews, but he would still help any Gentile who had a need and he may have dropped in on all the Gentile churches from time to time

 Both these great men of God had death sentences on their heads, but God kept them protected until God took them home.

 *****Gal 2:15  We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 

Gal 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

 Every believer, no matter where we come from, is justified by one thing and it is our "faith".

 Not just any faith, but faith in the work that Our Lord Jesus Christ has done so that we can be saved.

 Paul admitted that he was a Jew by nature.

 The Jews considered themselves to be religionists and the Gentiles to be Heathen Gentile sinners.

 We could say "rank sinners".

 Paul is saying that if the Jews being religionists would claim the same thing the Gentile Sinners claimed, who believed in the work of Jesus Christ, then they all could confess they were saved by "faith".

 Any Jew who came to Jesus Christ for salvation was admitting that their religion, their works, and their law were not able to save them. Only the same faith that the Gentiles had could save them!

 Is there a work that any man can do or any law that can make us perfect? That answer is no!

 If our salvation depends on any work or any law, then we are lost as Job's Turkey and Job did not have any turkeys.

 God says we have only one hope! Faith in Jesus Christ.

 The word "justified" means to reckon, to credit, to account, to judge, to look upon as righteous.

 It does not mean to make us righteous!

 We are not made righteous,  but we are accounted as righteous!

 Rom 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 

 Rom 3:21  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 

Rom 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

 Justification is necessary because we are born sinners!

 We cannot live as we desire, we must live as God desires, and until we are saved,  we are the enemies of God, even though He still loves us.

 Those who are not saved do not want God in their lives, they have alienated themselves from God.

 This is not God's choice but our choice!

Remember it is God’s will that we all be saved!

 We cannot turn away from God and then expect the blessings of God!

 Why would God justify any man?

 God will only "justify" any man because of Jesus Christ.

 God will credit our faith as righteousness if our faith is in Jesus Christ!

 Jesus Christ has secured the ideal righteousness for each of us!

 Jesus did this when He came to this earth and lived a righteous and sin free life!

 Rom 5:6  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 

Rom 5:7  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

Rom 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 

Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 

Rom 5:11  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. 

 The world refuses to understand that Our Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth to die!

 By His death, all sinners can be saved if they were willing to trust what God has done for us.

 2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 

2Co 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 

2Co 5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 

 Jesus came to die, but Jesus also came to resurrect from that death, because God cannot stay dead. 

It is impossible for Him to do so!

 It is His life from the dead that has given us eternal life!

 *****Gal 2:17  But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 

Gal 2:18  For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 

 Does Jesus Christ make us sinners, by our trusting in Him that we are justified by faith in Him alone?

 Is Jesus Christ a minister of sin?

 Are we sinners because we reject the law?

 It is the Law that makes us sinners, for the Law condemns sin!

 The law only shows us where our failures are!

 Gal_3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Gal_3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

 When we sit down and think about what God has done for us, we are driven to please God and not rebel against Him.

 Jesus Christ bore all our guilt and all our punishment for the crimes that we committed against His Father.

 When we bow to our Heavenly Father, it is for our love and adoration in appreciation for such "Amazing Love" that He has for us.

 We try to be good, not to earn righteousness, but to serve Him because He has saved us.

 Jesus Christ teaches us that "Love" is a much greater force upon this Earth than "fear"!

 1Jn 3:16  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 

 We cannot ever repay God for what He has done for us, and it is a sin to even try to.

 We are bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ!

So He does own us, not just because He created us, but because He sent His Son to reclaim His right to us and all He asks of us, is to enjoy life and our reasonable service.

 Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

 Ecc_5:18  Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

 God wants us to enjoy this life He has given to us keeping in mind that nothing upon this earth is as great as the things in Heaven.

 We should also keep in mind that there is no life if we do not have the truth of God in our lives.

 If we do not believe our good fortune comes by the hands of God, then we do not believe in the omnipotence of God.

 This is not teaching a prosperity Gospel, but our Heavenly Father does take care of His children.

This sometimes means that when we are suffering, He may take us home rather than heal us.

No one loves us as much as our Heavenly Father!

 We will find that the closer our walk with Jesus the more we will enjoy life, and it does not take much prosperity to enjoy life!

 *****Gal 2:19  For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 

Gal 2:21  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. 

 There are some things we must do to live unto God.

 1) We must die to the law!

 People have a bad habit of comparing themselves to other people in order to show that they are better or worse than those people.

 To be a Christian, we must compare ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ and we will immediately see that we just do not measure up.

 The Lord Jesus Christ lived a short thirty-three or more years in the flesh, and He lived a sinless life in every one of those years. 

We do well to live one day without sin!

 The Law shows me just how much of a sinner I am and how far I am from the goodness of my Lord Jesus.

 I will never reach perfection as long as I am in this body of flesh!

 The law tells me I need to be punished for my sin, and that punishment is my payment for the sin I have committed.

 Rom 6:22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

 My "faith" in the work of Christ will release me from the power of sin to keep me in bondage!

 The only hope I have to get to Heaven is to die to the law!

 2) I must be crucified with Jesus Christ!

 How can I do such a thing?

 I must believe that the Lord Jesus died in my place! He took my death to Himself!

 My Lord Jesus bore the punishment for my sin, so I do not have to.

 It is my "faith" in this truth that counts for my having died in Christ.

It is my "faith" in my identifying with Christ that counts for my pardon.

It is my "faith" in the Lord having already been punished for my sin that counts for my freedom from the bondage of sin.

 Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 

Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 

Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 

Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 

Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin. 

We should be able to see that these are the words our Pastor uses when we are Baptized.

 3) I can now live for God because God lives in me!

 I am crucified with Christ and God sees me as having already died and like His Son, I have resurrected from that death!

 The Lord Jesus Christ is now in charge of my life, He owns me!

 The Lord Jesus Christ is still walking upon this earth because He is walking in my body!

 I am just a branch growing and getting nourishment from the Vine that was my old body but is now the Body of Christ.

 Joh 15:1  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 

Joh 15:2  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 

Joh 15:3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 

Joh 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

Joh 15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 

Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 

 4) I can now live for God because I trust in the "Grace" of God!

 The Lord Jesus Christ is the "Righteousness of my God".

 If I set aside the "Grace of God" then My Lord, My Savior died for nothing!

 Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 

Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 

Php 3:11  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 

 We know that Paul had to confront Peter because there is just too much to lose if we do not gain the life of Jesus Christ!

 Amen

Jesus Defined the Church

 Jesus Defined His Kingdom

Book of Matthew Chapter 16

There is no doubt that the greatest thing the Lord Jesus Christ did for us was to die for our sins! 

Our sin debt has been paid and we stand on Holy ground before our Heavenly father.

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

Rom 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 

Rom 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 

Rom 3:26  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 

Rom 6:22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

What a blessing that has been bestowed upon us!

The greatest thing that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for this world is the formation and the leadership of the Church!

We must know that every building with a steeple is not a church.

Every group of people claiming religion is not a church.

Every time a news source claims a church did this or a church did that, does not mean they are talking about the true church.

Only those who gather in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ where the Lord Jesus is the Head of the Church are the true Church.

Only those who gather in the power of the Holy Spirit are the true Church.

Joh 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 

Joh 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 

Joh 14:11  Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. 

Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 

Joh 14:13  And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 

Joh 14:14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 

Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 

It is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth who powers the true Church in this world!

Saying all this, we must know that the Church has tares within the congregation, and they are hard to find but the Lord said He would remove them.

This includes such people as the Pharisees of the Old Testament.

Mat 13:29  But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

Mat 13:30  Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

This does not mean we cannot stop someone in the Church from doing wrong and stop them from attending with us in fellowship. 

We must be Holy in the House of God!

So Jesus has a little test for His disciples.

*****Mat 16:13  When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 

We could ask this same question today? Whom does the world think that Jesus is?

Even today, it is important for the Church to know what the world thinks about the Lord Jesus Christ.

The message of the Church is the Gospel, and this will always be true, but the way the "Gospel" is presented is determined by what the world thinks about our Lord.

We may have to think back when we were lost in this dying world, what did we think about Jesus?

When our Lord was asking these questions, He knew it was but a short time until He faced the death of the Cross.

We already know that the greatest sin in this world is to be ignorant of the Lord Jesus Christ!

To the average man Jesus was highly esteemed and respected.

When Jesus asked this question, that word "men" was not intended to be the Jews only but all the people in and about that part of the world.

We see what the world thinks of Jesus today, but the Lord Jesus Christ changed this world when He walked upon this earth!

We know that an opinion is a "judgment" of someone without having much knowledge of that person.

What do we know about the world today?

Joh 7:7  The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

Joh 15:18  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

The world hates the Lord Jesus Christ!

What did the world say then?

*****Mat 16:14  And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 

Remember King Herod thought that Jesus was a resurrection of John the Baptist and John the Baptist was the Messiah.

The Bible states in so many words that the Prophet Elijah will return, and some thought Jesus was he.

There was at that time a current tradition among the Jews, that either Jeremiah, or some other of the ancient prophets would rise again before the Messiah came.

We see what happens when we try to interpret the Bible and not study to see what God has said while rightly dividing the Bible.

We know for certain that the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed the Messiah, God in the flesh!

What had God told Moses?

Deu 18:15  The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 

Deu 18:16  According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 

Deu 18:17  And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. 

Deu 18:18  I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 

Deu 18:19  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. 

The biggest problem we see is that no one actually took the time to see what God actually said and they depended upon men to tell them what God had said.

Every true prophet spoke the words God had told them to say, even the Lord Jesus Christ.

Joh 12:49  For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

Joh 12:50  And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

Then Jesus asked his chosen disciples, what did they think.

*****Mat 16:15  He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 

Mat 16:16  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 

We know the "Gospel of Matthew" is not written in chronological order but as far as we know, how could Peter or any of these disciples believe that the Lord Jesus was not the Messiah.

How long had it been since Jesus walked upon the Sea of Galilee and saved Peter from drowning?

How long had it been since the Lord Jesus fed the 5000 plus?

They had seen the Lord Jesus heal person after person, continuously?

They had to see the Lord Jesus just speak and calm the seas and the winds?

How could they not believe that Jesus was the Messiah?

They had rested their beliefs on one thing, and it was their stumbling block.

They wanted another King David for their Messiah!

Jesus came as a Savior, which was far more important!

It was critical that these men knew the truth before Jesus went back to Heaven!

If they could not believe then, how could they continue to learn from Him.

Let us be honest we will never learn from those we do not trust!

We have to answer this same question today in faith or we cannot be saved!

Do we know the Anointed of God sent to this earth to provide a means of salvation?

Listen in as Jesus prays:

Joh 17:1  These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 

Joh 17:2  As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 

Joh 17:4  I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 

Joh 17:5  And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 

It is a fact Jesus did not come to convince us He was the Messiah. Jesus came to do the will of His Father!

Our Heavenly Father has provided us with His Holy Word, and it is up to us to believe Him or not!

It is not that God does not care, for He does, but God has humbled Himself one time and died upon a cruel cross. 

God will never humble Himself in that manner ever again.

He humbles Himself every time He listens to what we have to say!

Why should He do anything else? He has provided all we need to spend eternity with Him!

We can ask too much from Him!

I believe the Lord Jesus is exactly who He said He is, and I believe the Word of God came to us from Heaven!

Then Jesus teaches these disciples the platform of the Church.

*****Mat 16:17  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 

Who are all those who will become the church? All those who agree with Peter that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed One of God!

It was the Holy Spirit that revealed this to Peter.

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 

Joh 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 

Joh 16:9  Of sin, because they believe not on me; 

Joh 16:10  Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 

Joh 16:11  Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 

The natural man cannot receive the Holy Spirit!

1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 

1Co 2:15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 

1Co 2:16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 

If you cannot think like Jesus Christ, you cannot be like Jesus Christ, and this is what being a Christian is all about!

Rom 1:3  Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 

Rom 1:4  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: 

Rom 1:5  By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: 

Rom 1:6  Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:

Jesus came to inform the world a Church is a gathering of those who have the mind of Christ, so therefore He cannot be guilty of all those things He is being accused of doing.

It was the Apostle Peter who led 10 of those other men in the Doctrine of the Messiah to build the early Church and there were 12 again when the Lord called the Apostle Paul.

We see that when the Messiah returns to Heaven, something new "ecclesia" a community of others who believe as stated by the Apostle Peter.

"Thou art the Son of the Living God".

This is how the Church began and continues to thrive today!

To those who say they do not have saving faith, they should realize that no one had saving faith until they came under the conviction of the Holy Spirit just as the Lord Jesus said to Peter.

Peter would become that stone, a living stone, who would reveal the "Rock" of our salvation, the Living God, the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is not hard to understand, really it is very simple.

2Co_11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

The Lord Jesus Christ did all the work, the Holy Spirit provides the conviction "and that first bit of faith" and just a call upon our Heavenly Father will get salvation for eternity.

Remembering that there is no other way! And there was no Church in existence at this time on earth!

The Church is not built upon the Apostle Peter even though he was instrumental in the beginning of the New Testament Church.

Peter had these words:

1Pe 2:3  If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 

1Pe 2:4  To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 

1Pe 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 

1Pe 2:6  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 

1Pe 2:7  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 

1Pe 2:8  And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 

Peter was one of those lively stones for his lifetime just as every believer is to be a "lively stone" today until our death!

We should keep in mind this was a New Covenant (New Testament) for the children of Israel, it is the only Covenant made to the Church!

*****Mat 16:19  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 

1) Peter is not guarding the entrance into Heaven with the keys to allow those he has chosen to enter!

2) The Lord Jesus did not mean for us to understand that Peter holds the keys to Heaven!

3) The Lord did not say Peter is holding the keys to the Church!

4) The Lord did not mean that the eternal destiny of our souls depended upon Peter!

What the Lord Jesus meant was that to Peter was given the administration of the of the "kingdom of heavens" here on earth.

Peter was designated the first appointed witness to the "Gospel of Jesus Christ" after the Lord returned to Heaven and after Pentecost when, each of the Apostle were filled with the Holy Spirit along with more than a hundred more.

Let us see this again in the context Jesus intended:

Mat 18:12  How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? 

Mat 18:13  And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. 

Mat 18:14  Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. 

Mat 18:15  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 

Mat 18:16  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 

Mat 18:17  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 

Mat 18:18  Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 

Mat 18:19  Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 

Mat 18:20  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. 

The keys to the Kingdom then, is being a witness of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Having the keys to the kingdom is having the "Gospel Message"!

We open the door to Heaven when we are witnesses for the Lord!

We close the door to Heaven when we refuse to be witnesses of the truth of the "Gospel"!

But it was not yet time.

*****Mat 16:20  Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. 

Mat 16:21  From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 

Why did Jesus say this?

These 12 men were not ready to be true witnesses of the Gospel, because they did not yet have the faith and they did not yet have all the truth.

1) They needed more preparation. 

2) The death, the burial, and the resurrection had not yet taken place.

3) The disciples needed the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, this would take place at Pentecost after the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

4) Most all the people did not understand the First Coming of the Messiah.

These things were to be clearly understood!

1Co 15:1  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 

1Co 15:2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 

1Co 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 

1Co 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 

Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 

Peter then shows us why he was not ready:

Peter did not have the Holy Spirit with in him, so Satan made an attempt to use him.

*****Mat 16:22  Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 

You see the most important thing for us all is to believe what Jesus says!

Verse 21 said: "from that time forth Jesus began to show His disciples what was going to happen".

Jesus knows our future long before it happens!

Then Peter, who thought he understood it all, decided he knew more than his Master.

The Lord Jesus was using direct words and not symbols and parables.

The entire known world was fixing to change because of the knowledge given to these disciples.

Jesus was about to usher in the Kingdom of God making it possible for all believers to live eternally in the presence of God Himself.

These disciples needed to pay attention to what Jesus was saying.

The Lord Jesus Christ our God was totally committed to die for us!

Luk 24:46  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 

Luk 24:47  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 

God gave us the Bible so we could understand what and why He does what He does, and especially so we can understand what is in our near future.

We could say that Peter just was not paying attention, but the Lord Jesus leads us to the truth.

*****Mat 16:23  But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 

Notice just after Jesus had appointed Peter to lead the soon to be Apostles, Satan sticks his ugly head in to again try to stop the Church before it begins.

You see Satan can enter anyone who does not have indwelling of the Holy Spirit!

2Ti_2:26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

This world either does not understand this or they reject it saying, the Satan does not exist, but it is still the whole complete truth.

It is by the Lord Jesus Christ that we break the bondage of Satan.

Notice the Lord Jesus did not speak to Peter, Jesus spoke directly to Satan!

As for Peter, he had to keep his mind on the things the that were important.

The Lord Jesus came to die, but that death must remain His choice and not something Satan was involved in!

Joh 6:51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

Mar 10:45  For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

We just cannot allow ourselves to be used by Satan!

Then Jesus explains what He means by being His disciples.

*****Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 

Mat 16:25  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 

Mat 16:26  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 

If we are to be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must deny ourselves.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

Rom 8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Because the Lord Jesus gave all He had even His life, then who are we if we are unwilling to do the same.

It must be our will to follow the Lord Jesus Christ!

This means it must be our desire, our wish, our purpose, our determination be as much like the Lord Jesus as we can!

It is hard to deny one’s self, but it is a necessary thing to be a servant of the Lord and to be in the family of God!

We must say no to the world and yes to our Heavenly Father!

We must take up our own cross and follow the Lord, if for no other reason than because the Lord said so!

We must be a companion, a disciple, of the Lord Jesus Christ!

This body of flesh has no value, after all it was made from the materials of this world, but that soul is Heaven made and more valuable that all the materials upon this earth.

We must understand that once this union of life and soul is created, it will exist forever.

It is just a matter of where we go at the end of this world.

One will be in torment forever.

The other will be glorified and live with the Heavenly Father forever.

We have it in our ability to choose where we will spend eternity, it just takes faith.

1Co 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

The Lord Jesus is praying that we will choose right.

2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Amen

Knowing the False Teacher in the Church

Identifying False Prophets

Book of 2 Peter 2:1-22

How many of us truly know how to recognize the false prophet? This means the false pastor, the false preacher, the false evangelist, the false bishop and any other false messenger, who are not called of God, but call themselves or allow some other group of men or women to call them.

God calls those who He chooses to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ (the Messiah)!

1Co 7:20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.

Rom 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

1Co 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

1Co 9:14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

2Co 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

Who is that false preacher?

Let's listen to the called messenger of God, the Apostle Peter.

*****2Pe 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

We must remember Peter is writing to the Church. He is not talking about the world. Peter is saying these are men and women who are inside the Church!

Even Jesus warns of these people who are enemies of the Church.

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

In fact, as we see, these are false people who have made their way into the pulpits of the Church. This is even a sign of the soon coming Rapture of the Church, before the Second Coming of Christ.

Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Mat 24:25 Behold, I have told you before.

It is the job of the Church to rid the Church of these evil people!

1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

1Jn 4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

In the Church, heresy is departing from doctrine of faith that is in the works of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Heresy is any departure from the truth of the revelation of God!

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Any departure from the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ and the truth of the Scriptures is "heresy", and those who do so must be removed from the church and it is the church body that has the responsibility to do so!

If you think that when you stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and this will not come up you are foolish, and there will be a terrible loss of rewards and if you stand before the Lord at the White Throne judgment you are fools if you try to use this as an excuse, that you were misled.

We all have the responsibility to study the Word of God to know that the men and in some case women (who already go against the Word of God) who are behind the pulpits, are preaching and teaching the truth.

Heresies are damnable, because it is only by the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, that we can avoid eternal damnation!

Many listen to these preachers of damnation, out of ignorance to the Word of God!

*****2Pe 2:2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

We must clearly understand that to go against the Word of God is sin and sin that is unrepented brings eternal damnation!

Anyone who teaches and encourages people to live an immoral and unrestrained sin is a false preacher or teacher who is certainly not looking out for your spiritual welfare, but are working for the devil!

They will teach that Jesus is not the true Messiah sent from God.

They will teach that there is no Triune God, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

They will teach that Jesus is certainly not any Lord and we have no Lord over our lives.

They will teach that there is no higher power and the best we can do is listen to the wisdom of the men from this world.

They will teach that there is no absolute truth and that we can live pretty much anyway we want to.

They teach lies that anyone with common sense can see straight through, but people just refuse to give up their sin and these liars just give them an excuse to do so!

I got news for you. If you belong to the Lord, you will give up all your petty sins or you are not His child!

These people speak evil of God and they teach those who are listening to them to do the same.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the early church:

Act 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Act 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

These people only use the church to fill their pocketbooks and their bellies!

*****2Pe 2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

When we look up that word covetousness in the Strong's Dictionary of Greek and Hebrew words, we find the word "Avarice"

Avarice means the act of extortion, fraudulent, covetous, means to take someone elses money.

Avarice means seeking worldly wealth by any means possible, barely legal by loopholes and especially illegal or fraudulently.

We already known that wealth in itself is not a sin though the Bible does say Christians who have wealth were given that wealth to help the Church deliver the "Gospel of Jesus Christ" and also help the poor in the Church.

It is that craving for wealth that is such a sin!

The world operates under the rule of those who crave wealth and obtain it with any means possible!

It is that putting in place a means to extort that wealth from innocent victims that is such a terrible sin.

In fact it is that love of wealth that is obtained in this fashion that is sin!

1Ti_6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

God condemns this sin!

Isa 56:11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

Jer 5:25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

Jer 5:26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.

Jer 5:27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.

Mic 3:11 The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.

Tit 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

Tit 1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

These are just a handful of Scriptures warning the Church of false preachers and teachers.

This is exactly what the Apostle Peter is doing here. He is not only warning the Church, he is also teaching us how to know a false teacher when we see one, even knowing that they are deceivers who see Christians as easy pickings and an easy way to make great wealth.

They mold their words together to make them sound like what God has said.

They use artificial acts of kindness to lure their congregation.

They use fictitious results to entice the poor and the unhealthy into their audiences.

They devise their plans well to get maximum wealth from a people who are trusting in Jehovah God!

God has designed the Church to receive tithes and offerings and our wealth little or much, and it is never to be given to charlatans who care nothing for the things of God!

The truth is false teachers and false preachers will be judged and destroyed.

We may ask ourselves, why do some seem to keep going and keep amassing wealth, but we must leave these things in God's hands.

They are already judged, and they will see damnation!

In fact it is the greed of gain that dominates all our world today!

You cannot pay for a higher knowledge than the Word of God given to all freely!

You cannot pay for a higher holiness than the salvation plan of God also given to each believer freely, without cost!

They would cease to exist if the Church would listen to what the Lord does teach us!

1Ti 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

Tit 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

Tit 1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

God will exterminate these false, so-called men of God and it will be a terrible thing!

*****2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

Judgment is coming to all to reject the truth of God but even more so to those who would distort the Word of God for their own profit!

Destruction is not now in this world compared to the destruction that is forthcoming from our Holy God!

Before the time of Adam and Eve there was the rebellion in Heaven and Lucifer and a third of the angels in Heaven.

Eze 28:16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

Eze 28:17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

Rev 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

Rev 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

We know that Lucifer, now called Satan, the Devil, the Deceiver, and other names is used of God to cause temptation along with a few of those angels now called demons, but the worst of those angels are already locked away in the depths of hell.

Jud 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

There is no escape for those who sin!

For Lucifer and those angels that rebelled with him there will never be an opportunity for forgiveness and even Heaven will be made new because there will not even be a trace of sin in the New Heaven that is to be our home.

Rev_21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

These same angels will be placed into the burning lake of fire along with Lucifer!

Another example given to us is the destruction of the old world.

*****2Pe 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

It amazes me that the climate alarmist speak of so many cities and coastlines that will be underwater by the time of 2030, yet artifact after artifact are discovered under our oceans almost daily.

There are always things going on in nature that we will never understand because we are not intended to understand.

Those could afford to have always built too close to shorelines.

There are roads, cities, foundations, pyramids and many other things from the past that are found under our oceans that were once on dry land when there were no automobiles.

When there were no power plants.

When there were no industries.

When there were no causes for greenhouse gases but nature itself and of course the animals who God chose to exist with us.

In the day of Noah, it was God who flooded this earth not because of greenhouse gases but because of sin.

Judgment is coming to all who reject the Lord Jesus Christ!

*****2Pe 2:6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

2Pe 2:7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

2Pe 2:8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

We are foolish not to realize the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah!

These same sins are running rampant in our societies of today.

Sin can bring down the most magnificent cities of today just as it did in the days of Abraham.

Not one of these cities did escape and if you study the Bible there were five of those cities destroyed along with Sodom and Gomorrah.

Gen 19:25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

There is not one society of mankind that can hinder the judgment of God!

There is not one evil that can escape the destruction of God!

Only Lot and his two daughters escaped from Sodom.

Lot had been justified when He was with Abraham and this should be a lesson to us that Lot did not lose his salvation, but his godly testimony was ruined for the rest of his days. He had become useless in the work of God and became a drunk who was used of his two daughters whose lives were lives of confusion that brought to them damnation.

This is exactly what a false teacher will cause. Confusion that leads to damnation!

When you fall away from the truth of God after your salvation it can bring ruin to your entire family!

There is no one who rejects the truth of God who will not see damnation and at the same time, God will fulfill His promise to deliver everyone who has claimed the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.

*****2Pe 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

We live in a world that has no respect for the knowledge of God and false teachers and false preachers take advantage of our laziness in the Scriptures.

The Bible was not just written for the preacher to study and give us his thoughts.

The Bible was written so we can learn and see for ourselves what God has actually said!

The true teacher and preacher will help us to understand what God has written!

God knows how to deliver us from all things, but we must pay attention to what He says and not what man says.

God also knows how to rid this world of the unjust. Those who have not been "justified" by the truth of God!

God does not cause our suffering.

God does not tempt us in any way.

God does allow us to go through some of these things to make us stronger!

God knows how to deliver us out of the conflicts of this life.

We must remember most of our problems come because we have given in to temptation!

Some of our problems come because of Christian persecution!

The remainder of our problems are the same problems that everyone else has in this life!

God explains to us everything pertaining to life! Where life began and where life will end and then God teaches us how to avoid the pitfalls of life.

God knows how to meet the needs of His people.

There is much difference in the "unjust" and those who have been "justified" (the just)!

*****2Pe 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

So what do these false teachers and false preachers do? How can we know them besides the things that they teach?

They walk after the flesh! They walk just like those of the world!

The flesh in itself is not evil, it is what we do in that flesh is evil!

We are spirit and we are flesh.

The spirit will seek spiritual things and lead us to the Holy Spirit who will lead us the Lord.

The flesh will seek food, recognition, love, companionship, and the necessities of life and these are normal desires that we all have.

False teachers walk in the lusts of the flesh, which is covetousness, an evil desire for all things of the flesh, especially monetary things!

False teachers teach to satisfy the flesh and their message is to gain recognition and livelihood and that message will change according to their own best interest!

Just like the lost, because they are lost, they want to do things their own way!

They neglect the Lordship of Christ!

They neglect the truth of God!

*****2Pe 2:11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

False teachers despise authority especially the authority of God!

They stress rights.

They stress freedom.

They stress liberty.

They stress the right to live in any way you want to.

The evidence of this truth can be seen in most every denomination today, who are led by false teachers!

These false teachers will question spiritual things.

They will have nothing good to say about the things of Heaven.

They will question the work of the angels even their existence.

They will question all the spiritual world.

They will doubt that there is a spiritual world that going on around us.

They openly reject that there is a Devil!

In doing so they are calling the Lord a liar.

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

What does God actually think of false preachers and false teachers?

*****2Pe 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

2Pe 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

2Pe 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

2Pe 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

2Pe 2:16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

It is easy to see God does not think anything good about these foolish men and women.

We must keep in mind Peter is writing to the saints of God! "to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" 2Peter 1:1

When we look out across a field at magnificent bulls of the herd, we see brute beast who do not have a clue to the meaning of life and certainly not eternal life. Who are raised to be destroyed for their meat.

Much, Much, different from that under-shepherd who are guardians of God's flock.

These brute beasts only speak evil of the things of God they have no understanding and they never will, because they do not have the Holy Spirit living within them!

They will perish in their own corruption.

You know there could still be at least one more great awakening for the Church of God, where the truth of God will come back to the top.

Let's pray for this to happen!

But these will receive their reward!

What do we see of false teachers who are reaping great monetary things from God's people?

They openly show their wealth. Their jet plains. Their lifestyle. Making friends with the unbelievers of this world while rejecting the standards God has set for His people.

They share in the social affairs of the world still rejecting the Lordship of Christ.

They make great prayers without mentioning the Lord.

They in fact blemish all the things of the Lord Jesus Christ.

God has only one request for His people!

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

They are not pure in their relationship with the Lord because they have gone to bed with the world.

We need only look at the major denominations of the Church to see that these things are true!

They cannot cease from sin.

They do not condemn abortion, but they endorse it.

They do not condemn the sexual relations of two men.

They do not condemn the sexual relations of two women.

They do not condemn all sexual relations outside the marriage.

In fact they do not condemn sin at all, because they have not repented themselves and their names are not written down in the Lamb's Book of Life and they have condemned all relationships with the Lord Jesus Christ.

They have cursed the next generation of the Church (our children) because they do not teach the truth of the Scriptures.

I should say "all the truth" because they do teach just enough of twisted truth to keep you giving to them!

They then turn right around and accept the teachings of the world.

They condemn our Creator and the teachings of the Book of Genesis!

In the Bible, we see Balaam did have some knowledge of God, but at the same time he thought he could stand up to God and talk God into going against His own Words.

Balaam could not curse Israe, but he did give King Balak a plan that would cause Israel to stumble when he sent all numbers of women into the camps of Israel where fornication occurred.

Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

Balaam was so caught up in his deceit that even the jackass he was riding was far smarter than he was in the things of the Lord!

Num 22:28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

Num 22:29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.

Num 22:30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.

Num 22:31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.

Num 22:32 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:

Balaam was no more than a false teacher for hire just like those false teachers of today!

The Lord is not thorough in His condemnation of false teachers.

*****2Pe 2:17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

2Pe 2:18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

Water is the most necessary ingredient for all living beings, along with the air we breathe!

The fruitfulness of any land depends on the quantity and the quality of water that is available.

This is the reason that God has placed more water on this earth than there is dry land.

Water brings life!

A false teacher cannot bring life!

They are only empty wells that look refreshing from a distance, but only contain no water or poisoned water that is undrinkable.

We see great clouds sometimes that are pushed by the winds in which we see the opportunity of life-giving rain to nourish our lands, but some just blow on by having released none of moisture that is in them.

They looked like a great promise of life, but in the end, they kept it to themselves.

A false teacher may seem to carry the Words of Life, but in the end, they carry only death!

They may be great speakers, but their words are empty!

Their allure appeals to the lusts of our flesh, but they offer nothing for the soul, but the promise of God's judgment!

They lure the "Babe in Christ" and those who refuse to study the Word of God themselves, with great promises of truth that are only lies that destroy families, that destroy nations and then bring eternal death and they do these things intentionally.

In trials it would be called premeditation and they are true murderers who will answer to the Almighty God and they will be destroyed themselves!

If we are not rooted and grounded in the Word of God ourselves, we can fall into the traps of false teachers who are only seeking earthly wealth but bring only death to themselves and those who listen to their message!

They make great promises!

*****2Pe 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

The Lord Jesus Christ has released us from the bondage of sin, but these false teachers who make that same promises only involve those who listen to them in corruption and again make them servants of lies.

This is the one great goal of Satan.

Satan cannot touch the saint of God, but he will enlist false teachers who make the promise of life that is in actuality the promise of death or in the least, useless in the plan of God!

Their lie is that we are all entitled to a life of freedom, but that freedom is a life of selfishness.

A life of greed, a life of desire, a life of lust.

Freedom to seek their own pleasures anywhere they can find them.

It is in our sinful nature to desire more and more and the false teacher will expound on these things and we can notice that the pews are full of those who fall into this trap of the devil.

The message of God is real! If we are overcome by lies that lead to sin, then we have again become servants of sin and no longer the servants of God!

What is the truth?

*****2Pe 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

We can see that we have a strong warning from the Lord. Again the Holy Ghost is writing to the church!

"Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ":

Any false teacher who once knew the Lord and has returned to the world, his fate will be much worse than if he had never begun a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we base our lives on the message of these false men and women, we will not be any better off than them!

We must understand we live in a polluted world and I am not talking about the filth of polluting nature. I am speaking of a world polluted with sin.

Pollutions in this Scripture speaks of immorality. We live in a nation that at this time is polluted with immorality!

It is immoral pollutions right now that come from indulging in the sinful pleasures of this world, which are not pleasures at all, but just rejection of the truth of God.

We cannot allow ourselves to be drawn back into the foolishness of this world and this is what will happen if we allow false teachers to get a foothold in our church!

It is only by the laws of God and the knowledge of God that we can escape these things.

God would not tell us these things if they were not true!

*****2Pe 2:21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

2Pe 2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

If a dog returning to its vomit is not repulsive to us, then think in the mind of Christ of that one who said they loved Him, but have now rejected Him and returned to their sinful life.

What about the old hog that won a prize at the fair, but at its first opportunity will rush back to that mire to wallow in its own filth.

These things should sink in, because the Holy Ghost is warning us, the church, the saints of God.

God will deal with those false teachers and it will be extremely harsh, but here God is warning the Church the backbone of Christianity.

It is easy to fall back into sin!

It is more difficult to recover each time you allow this to happen!

God used that word entangled for a reason, because sin has its traps and snares, the more we struggle in these things the more we become in bondage again to sin!

Sin has always been terrible, but we are foolish if we cannot see that sin in this world is growing tremendously and we may not recover if we sink back into this sinful world today!

The world is full of moral corruption. To escape this corrupt world is of the greatest importance!

To fall back into the traps of sin can be devastating!

Our only escape is the knowledge of Jesus Christ and accepting His Word as the truth!

What did Jesus say?

Mat 12:44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

Mat 12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

We will never be able to clean ourselves up!

We must be washed in the blood of Jesus Christ.

We must be washed by the Holy Spirit and this washing begins when we are washed in the Word of God!

1Co_6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

After we are washed, we must to our very best to remain clean!

If we depend on the Word of God, then we must beware of those who distort the Word of God.

Not only by wicked men and women but also by those who continuously bring forth distorted Bibles.

Amen.

Let's Pray!